


What Did It Cost?

by xCrossbonesx (StarSpangledBucky)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Character Death, Emotional Brock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 16:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14524497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarSpangledBucky/pseuds/xCrossbonesx
Summary: Nothing could ever break Brock Rumlow apart. Until Thanos took everything...





	What Did It Cost?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kalika_999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/gifts), [Fancy_Dragonqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fancy_Dragonqueen/gifts).



> Canon-divergence of if Brock and Jack were in Infinity War (from my perspective)
> 
> Shoutout to my faves kalika_999 and Fancy_Dragonqueen for being my MVP's and enjoying the snippets I sent <3

_Nothing could have prepared them for this. The end game. A final battle, with no knowledge of what outcome would prevail._

“Look at it, Jack…”

Jack followed Brock’s gaze, as he walked up to him, his hand resting on Brock’s lower back. He stared out of the window, eyes scanning the vast lands of Wakanda, hidden deep in the forest. They’d arrived in a quinjet only minutes ago, after receiving a call for assistance from Steve. Jack hated the thought of leaving their home back in Brooklyn, but the fight was never over, not until the world was saved.

“I see it,” he replied.

“The hell are we doin’ here huh?”

“Tryin’ to save the world, from a giant grape,” Jack said.

Brock snorted softly and nonchalantly leant into Jack’s side.

“You think he’s gonna’ come here?” Brock asked.

Jack’s gaze dropped from the window.

“I don’t know. But we need to be prepared to fight.”

“Then home,” he added.

“Yeah... _home._ ”

Suddenly, the peace was interrupted by Natasha’s voice and hurried footsteps.

“Vision, get your ass back on that table.”

Brock and Jack turned to see Steve glancing over at them, sending them a curt nod in their direction. Jack pressed his hand up to his ear to turn on his comm.

“Bucky, what’s going on out there?”

_“Somethin’ big.”_

He heard an explosion over the comm.

_“Oh my god, I love this place.”_

T’Challa responded immediately.

“Evacuate the city! Engage all defences-”

He paused as he pointed to Steve.

“...and get this man a shield!”

“Let’s go,” Brock said.

But, before he could take a step further, Jack grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“Wait.”

Brock looked back over his shoulder at Jack, with a raised eyebrow, while Jack pulled him back over to him. He moved them away from prying eyes, behind an alcove in the wall, his hands resting on Brock’s arms.

“Jack, what’s goin’ on?” he murmured.

Jack’s arms wrapped around Brock, before he drew him in close to his chest, with his face buried in Brock’s hair.

“Hey, Jackie, you’re scarin’ me, c’mon.”

“Gotta’ hold you, in case...somethin’ happens to one of us,” Jack whispered.

“What? Jack...hey. Look at me.”

Brock gently grasped Jack's chin in his hand.

“Don’t be fuckin’ stupid, we’re gonna’ win this together.”

Jack sighed, as he tilted his head down, to rest his forehead against Brock's.

“I know, I shouldn't think about it. But it's always gonna’ be there,” he muttered.

“You're strong Rollins, I know that for a fact. Whatever happens, I ain’t gonna’ quit on ya. Not gettin’ rid of me that easily,” Brock soothed.

A small chuckle fell from Jack's mouth.

“Let’s take down these bastards.”

Brock moved in to close the distance, his lips pressed to Jack's in a chaste kiss. Jack reciprocated, with his arm grasped loosely around Brock, fingers giving his hip a slight squeeze. He parted from the kiss to brush his nose against Brock's, a featherlight touch that spoke volume.

“I love you.”

“Hm, I know Jackie,” Brock replied.

“One of these days you're gonna’ say it back,” Jack chuckled.

“Soon,” he assured him.

“That's what you said last time.”

A smirk spread across Brock's face, before he walked out from behind the alcove, with Jack following close behind. They hurried down a wide staircase to reach the bottom of the building, where Steve was waiting for them. He switched his gaze between both of them, and Brock could've sworn he saw the blonde’s mouth twitch. He knew why they'd taken longer than everyone else.

“You two bring gear?”

“Sure did Cap,” Brock chided.

Steve full showed his grin then.

“Then suit up fellas.”

* * *

Not a lot of things worried or scared Brock, except for the possibility of change in the universe. Now that they were out on the field, it all began to sink in that the fate of their existence was dawning. Steve, Sam and Natasha were at the edge of the dome that shielded Wakanda, talking to those that claimed to be _‘children of Thanos’._ Brock wasn’t sure any kind of reasoning for blood not to be shed, would be truly impossible. They had a shield around them, yet how long would it last before they needed to fight. Vision had to be protected for as long as possible, while Shuri worked on removing the mind stone, there was no other way around it.

Bucky walked up to stand on Brock’s right side, as Jack stood on his left, his hand smoothing down his tact gear. Brock looked over at him and saw no fear in Jack’s eyes, not because he didn’t ever fear it. But more so, from the fact that Jack always seemed prepared to die, if it came to it. They’d had danger around every corner of their lives, until they decided to settle down in Brooklyn, together. He knew that they could’ve easily said no to Steve’s request for help, if Jack hadn’t looked at him the way he had. It was a look that prompted Brock to _know_ that whatever it was, it’d be some serious shit, and there was no way they could turn a blind eye.

“This is gonna’ be a tough fight,” Bucky said, to break the silence.

Brock nodded.

“Had a lot of those though.”

“This is different,” he replied.

“You’re right. Don’t know anythin’ about this Thanos guy, except that he has five infinity stones. And we’re tryin’ to protect the last one.”

“Some of us are going to die trying,” Jack interjected.

“Jack…” Brock sighed.

Bucky placed his hand on Brock’s shoulder.

“Can’t pretend it’s not goin’ to happen Rumlow. Us against a powerful titan and his army.”

“Ain’t somethin’ I wanna’ think about,” he answered.

“Either way, I’m with you buddy.”

Jack softly nudged Brock’s shoulder.

“I’ve got your six.”

Brock swallowed thickly, trying to will away the nauseous feeling in his stomach.

“Me too Jack.”

Suddenly Steve appeared beside Bucky, as the pair exchanged words. Brock heard Steve say _‘not exactly’,_ however he wasn't sure what the question was to get that response. He could only guess that they were going into this fight, regardless of anything else.

“Did you bring it?” Steve murmured, under his breath.

Brock drew his attention away from the field to look at Steve. He felt the smooth, cold edge of the blade on the inside of his wrist, which was protected by a glove. All he had to do was create enough force to activate the blade, catching any opponent he faced off guard.

“ _Did I bring it?_ Rogers, you should know me by now.”

Steve's mouth curved up at the corner, before he looked away, nodding as a form of confirmation to Brock’s quick rebuke.

“Yibambe!”

_“YIBAMBE!”_

Brock’s heart pounded in his chest.

“Yibambe!”

He reached for Jack's free hand in a swift motion.

_“YIBAMBE!”_

Then squeezed it tightly.

“Yibambe!”

There was no turning around and fleeing now.

_“YIBAMBE!”_

* * *

_Thor drove the axe into Thanos’ chest, pushing it deeper, as the titan gasped in agony. Brock and Jack stood back to back, guns still raised, while Brock’s blade lay shattered from being ambushed by the creatures before Thanos’ arrival. His breathing came out in short rasps, fatigued from the fight, but also from shock of what he was seeing. He'd seen his fair share of bad things, but nothing like this, nothing with the strength that Thanos had. And he was unsure of who was left standing._

_“You should've gone for the head.”_

_Jack watched with widened eyes as Thanos rose his hand, the gauntlet glowing bright with the infinity stones. He grabbed Brock when the realisation hit, arms secured around him, holding him tight to his chest, blocking his eyes from the blinding white light._

_“No!”_

* * *

Light flooded back into Jack’s line of sight, as he tilted his head up, blinking rapidly. They were still in Wakanda, and Brock was still standing in his arms, clutching the fabric of Jack’s tact uniform in his hand. He looked around for signs of everyone else who was with them, but only saw trees and debris spread out around them. Brock’s grip loosened on Jack’s uniform, before he pulled away to look up at Jack, his eyes scanning over Jack. His hand came up to rest against Jack’s chest, letting out a relieved sigh, as his shoulders slumped.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know…” Jack said.

_“What did you do!?”_

Brock turned his head in the direction of Thor’s voice, dropping his hand from Jack’s chest to take a step forward. Between a gap in the trees he saw a portal, identical to the one Thanos arrived in, appear, then disappear in seconds. He immediately reached for Jack’s arm and tugged on his sleeve.

“C’mon!”

Without any second thoughts, Brock rushed deeper into the forest, his footsteps thudding heavily on the ground.

_“Where did he go?”_

Upon reaching the clearing, Brock saw Steve and Thor staring at each other, until Steve turned his head, scoping his surroundings for a trace of Thanos. Yet there was nothing. Where he'd been, only Thor’s axe remained lying on the ground. Brock walked over to them, keeping his gun to his side, just in case. But given how quiet it'd gotten, it was only a clear indicator that Thanos was gone. Only...they didn't know what it would cost.

“Steve..?”

Bucky slowly approached them while staring down at his vibranium arm. It began to fade away, spreading quickly, as he glanced over at Steve, then disappeared into a cloud of ash. Brock drew in a sharp breath and staggered back, before glancing at Steve, who crouched down to touch the ash. He looked over at Thor, then Brock, clearly in a state of shock.

“Sam!...Sam?”

Brock could hear Rhodey calling to Sam, and Okoye calling for T'Challa. The exact same thing that happened to Bucky, was happening to them. Which only put a sickening feeling in Brock's stomach, upon realising Jack hadn't followed him.

“Jack!”

He spun around to face the way that he’d ran in from, and stopped abruptly.

“Jackie?”

Jack staggered out of the trees, his gun slipping from his fingers as it fell with a thud. He settled his gaze on Brock, and flashed him a weak smile, as if he _knew_ he was next.

“God, Jack, please not you,” Brock breathed out.

Jack’s legs buckled, sending him to his knees, which burst into ashes.

“No! Jack!”

Brock hurried over to him and dropped to his own knees, while cradling the back of Jack's head.

“Hey, you’re gonna’ be okay.”

“It's too late Brock...” Jack said.

Suddenly, Jack gasped shakily and wrapped his arm around his waist, breaking out into a sweat as his skin went pale.

“C’mon, I need you!” Brock choked out.

Jack’s hand pressed lightly against Brock's cheek. It sent a chill down Brock’s spine when the touch brushed against his cheek in fragments of ash.

“Stay strong for me.”

Brock’s throat tightened when he let out a strained noise, before hanging his head.

“No, no... _god dammit…_ ”

He looked back up to see Jack’s face starting to fade.

“I love you. You hear me? I _love_ you,” he whispered.

Jack smiled sadly, then vanished completely.

_“I love you too…”_

Brock’s eyes widened as he began to tremble, frantically grasping at the remnants of where Jack had been. He couldn't breathe from the clenching pressure in his chest, and his hands wouldn't stop shaking violently.

“ _No, no, no._ Jack...come back. _Fuck._ Come back!” he yelled, while the ashes slid between the gaps in his fingers.

His whole body slouched forward, which pressed his head into the dirt, grass and ash. An anguished scream crawled out his throat, as the shock and denial swiftly switched the anger. He scrambled to his feet in a fit of rage, fists clenching and nostrils flared.

“Where the fuck are you, you big purple bastard!”

“Rumlow...” Steve murmured.

“Get back here and I’ll fuckin’ kill you myself!”

“Brock!” he exclaimed.

“He didn't deserve it!” Brock shouted, before covering his eyes. “He didn't deserve it…” he cried.

Steve discarded his shield to the side and approached Brock cautiously.

“Hey...it’s alright.”

Brock shook his head then choked back a sob.

“He didn’t-”

Steve managed to grab Brock when his knees gave out, before he sat down on the ground with him. Brock’s shoulder shook as he dropped his head down against Steve’s shoulder, his fingers digging into the dirt. His eyes stung from the tears that ran down his cheeks, leaving streaks in their wake. He was never one to cry so easily, or so openly, but losing Jack...broke him. Regret and guilt washed over him for not listening to Jack, for thinking they’d be fine, when there was _some_ possibility that something could go wrong. He should’ve known they couldn’t have won so easily.

_Now all Brock felt was loss…_

* * *

Jack gasped as he sat upright in a body of water, coughing violently. His wet hair clung to his face, before he smoothed back the strands covering his eyes, hands shaking. He stared down at the water that was waist deep from where he sat in it. All he could remember was feeling strange, while listening to Brock plead that he'd be okay. Jack tilted his head down at the thoughts of Brock, how broken his voice sounded the further he'd begun to fade. Then there was Brock telling him he loved him, so desperately, as if it would've allowed him to stay.

_“I love you. You hear me? I love you…”_

“...god, Brock,” Jack sighed, dropping his head into his hands.

“Jack?”

The voice startled Jack to stand up, splashing water up as he whirled around to see Bucky and Sam.

“Bucky? Sam?”

“Oh my god,” Bucky breathed out.

He walked towards Jack and hugged him tight, so tight it almost squeezed all of the air out of Jack.

“What the hell happened?” he asked.

“I don't know…”

Bucky pulled away, then held Jack at arms length.

“I remember lookin’ down at my hand and it was turnin’ to ash. Then I said Steve's name and it went black.”

“Rhodey called my name before I went,” Sam said, swallowing thickly.

Jack saw the look of sadness in Sam’s eyes, he and Rhodey had grown pretty close after all.

“Who else is here?”

“Wanda, T’Challa, Groot, Mantis, Drax, Peter Quill, Doctor Strange and Peter Parker,” Bucky explained, pointing over his shoulder.

“Ah shit, not the kid.”

Jack saw Peter sitting on a rocky surface, with Mantis sitting beside him, her antenna glowing when her hand touched Peter’s shoulder to calm his trembling body.

“Do you know who was left behind?” Sam questioned.

“Steve, Okoye, Bruce, Nat, Rhodey, M’Baku, Rocket, Thor, Stark’s not here, so we gotta’ assume he's been left too...and Brock.”

Bucky sighed deeply.

“I'm sorry Jack.”

“Y’know, he told me he loved me before I left,” Jack whispered. “Now I dunno’ where the hell we are, or what's happened to him,” he added.

“We’re trapped in the soul stone.”

Jack turned his attention to Doctor Strange who lowered himself into the water, his cloak resting at his side.

“So he got the time stone from you huh?”

“You know about the infinity stones?” Strange replied.

“I know enough. We saw the time stone in the gauntlet.”

“I handed the time stone to him,” he said.

“You what!” Bucky exclaimed.

“C’mon man,” Sam muttered.

Strange pressed his mouth into a thin line and averted his gaze.

“There were fourteen million outcomes to the conflict with Thanos. Only one of those outcomes was the winning one. Thanos was ready to kill Tony until I told him if he spared his life I’d give him the time stone. The winning outcome requires those who were left behind to still be alive.”

“Brock’s still alive?” Jack blurted out.

“Given that he’s not here, it’s fair to say he is.”

Jack ran his fingers through his hair and turned away from the others.

“We have to find a way back,” he whispered.

“Not possible,” Strange uttered.

Bucky shook his head in disbelief.

“What do you mean?”

“As I said the first time, we’re trapped here, until they win the fight. All we are here, is _souls,_ nothing else,” he explained.

Jack’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his hand into a fist, then spun back around.

“You don’t get it, Brock needs me! He thinks I’m dead!”

Strange narrowed his eyes at Jack.

“Oh I know exactly how you feel.”

“No, no, you don’t. How could you know!” Jack scoffed.

Bucky stepped in front of Jack, then rested his hand on his shoulder.

“Jack, that’s enough.”

Jack glanced over Bucky’s shoulder at Strange, noticing the dejected look on his face. He let out a sigh and grasped Bucky’s shoulder firmly.

“I’m sorry, Strange.”

Strange waved his hand dismissively.

“Please, call me Stephen.”

Bucky swung his arm loosely around Jack’s neck, as he moved to stand beside him.

“So...what do we do now?”

Jack crouched down and looked at the water, where a reflection of Brock stared back at him.

“We wait…”


End file.
